Ada Colau urges the Broad Front and Podemos to reach an agreement for 29N 24 hours before the close of coalitions: "We are in extra time"

Ada Colau has called this Thursday night for a last effort to achieve left-wing unity before the deadline for coalitions closes. "We are in extra time to build anti-fascist unity," she stated in Barcelona, during the presentation of a book by Jaume Asens. "I hope we achieve it for the good of everyone," she added. This Friday, October 16, at 11:59 p.m., the deadline to communicate electoral alliances for 29N ends.

The call coincides with Emilio Delgado's public offer to incorporate Podemos in a starting position for Madrid and with a statement from Frente Amplio that uses the Canarian agreement to request common candidacies throughout the country, including Madrid and Barcelona. The coalition of Izquierda Unida, Movimiento Sumar, Más Madrid and Comuns insists on a state-wide understanding. The purples also celebrate the Canary Islands pact, but maintain their commitment to extending territorial agreements.

Más Madrid's offer to Irene Montero

Delgado reiterated on 'Malas Lenguas', on TVE, that Podemos has space in the Madrid candidacy if it decides to join Frente Amplio. "If what is in our hands is to accommodate Podemos on the list for Madrid and in a starting position, they have it on the table," he declared. "It depends on whether they want to take it or not," he added. The offer leaves the specific position and who would occupy it unspecified, although it revives the possibility of fitting in that 'ElConstitucional.es' has reported this week, including the option of reserving the number two spot for Irene Montero after Delgado.

The Madrid candidate also explained under what conditions he would be willing to change position. He would accept moving if the parties that agreed to place him at the head of the list considered that he would be "more useful in another position." He maintains, however, that it would be difficult for him to explain Podemos leading the candidacy, alluding to its lack of representation in the Madrid Assembly. Colau has expressed a similar disposition regarding her own leadership, conditioned on the promoting organizations agreeing on another candidacy that facilitates unity.

The offers coexist with reproaches for the collaboration agreement between Podemos and ERC, which contemplates the support of the purples for the republican candidacy in Catalonia and joint events by Irene Montero and Gabriel Rufián. Delgado considers it legitimate for both organizations to negotiate, but questions that they have done so while conversations with other forces were still ongoing. In his opinion, the commitment to a common negotiation required concentrating all efforts on it.

The Más Madrid deputy has placed his concern on the distance between social mobilizations and party discussions. He cited protests for housing and public education and demanded to start talking about the needs of their voters. "We are possibly playing for a decade in this country," he warned, before insisting that he wants to dedicate the weeks remaining until the elections to avoiding a "democratic involution."

Canarias reopens the possibility of an agreement

The agreement between Nueva Canarias, Podemos, Izquierda Unida Canaria, and Movimiento Sumar has given a concrete argument to those who continue to defend unity. The four organizations will run under the brand Unidad del Pueblo Canario in the two provinces of the archipelago. Frente Amplio has celebrated the understanding and attributed it to the effort and generosity of its participants. "This announcement demonstrates that a single left-wing ballot is possible, also, throughout the State," it states in its communiqué.

The coalition demands that this effort allows for the closing of unity candidacies also in Madrid and Barcelona, the two constituencies where the disagreement remains most visible. Ione Belarra this Thursday placed the agreement in both very far off and defended that these difficulties allow progress in other places. The Canarian pact certifies that organizations can share a candidacy, although it leaves pending to decide how far that understanding extends.

From Podemos, Irene Montero has celebrated the advance with a message that keeps territorial conversations open. "And we continue to seek agreements in more territories," she wrote on X. Pablo Iglesias has asked to pay attention to the particularities of each place, the strength of the parties, and the effects of the electoral system. "With flexibility and without impositions from Madrid, unity can be built," he affirmed. Both spaces positively value what happened in Canarias, while disagreeing on the formula that should allow it to be reproduced.

The map remains open in other territories. Ara Més, Sumar and Esquerra Unida have reached a pre-agreement in the Balearic Islands, still without Podemos, pending ratification and with the negotiation of its incorporation unresolved. In the Valencian Community and Aragon, contacts continue with Compromís and Chunta Aragonesista, respectively. These conversations involve territorial forces that claim their own leadership and an arrangement adapted to their community.

Pressure from the territories

Podemos maintains the proposal it conveyed this afternoon to 'ElConstitucional.es' to reach agreements with IU in ten communities. "Our proposal in these ten autonomous communities is that we can reach agreements," said party sources consulted by this newspaper. They also stressed that in other territories more organizations participate and conversations continue. "Our proposal remains on the table. I hope they can reconsider it," they added.

The calls disseminated on social networks are based on the work that organizations already share in regional parliaments and city councils. Podemos' Murcian deputy Víctor Egío has claimed that this unity is practiced daily in his community. In Andalusia, Nico Sguiglia has called for "agreements to stop the right-wing parties," while the Cantabrian coordinator, Mercedes González, has invited IU to dialogue to build a candidacy born in the territory.

Izquierda Unida's response maintains its commitment to the entire Broad Front. Antonio Maíllo reiterated this Thursday that his organization will negotiate within that alliance and has rejected bilateral agreements that leave out its partners. IU of Asturias has reaffirmed on social media that its reference is the state negotiation; in Murcia, the organization also supports that framework. The disagreement affects who participates in the table and the scope of the pact that each party is willing to accept.

The provincial distribution of seats makes what is decided in these hours especially relevant. In constituencies that elect few deputies, dividing support among several candidacies can leave part of that electorate without representation and facilitate seats for other forces, including PP and the far-right Vox. The greater proportionality of Madrid and Barcelona offers more margin, although the result will also depend on the vote and mobilization. The coalition formula must be communicated by Friday; complete candidacies will be presented between October 21 and 26. Broad Front is scheduled for its public presentation on Saturday the 17th.